To go to a faraway land and help people connect with God and then move on to help others do the same. That is the life of missionary.

And so it is in that spirit that the Paulist Fathers – formally known as the Missionary Society of St. Paul the Apostle – said farewell to the faith community of St. Peter Church and the Paulist Ministry Centre in Toronto, Ont. The Paulists officially ended their 102-year ministry in Toronto with a Mass on June 28, and will end Paulist ministry in Canada. More than 500 congregants gathered to bid the Paulists farewell.

In his homily, Cardinal Thomas Collins of Toronto, who celebrated the Mass, noted how the Paulists embody the mission of St. Peter, the great pastor, and St. Paul, the great apostolic worker.

“You welcome people to the table of the Lord, and then you send them out to share the Lord’s message,” Cardinal Collins said. “You bring people to the table of the Lord and then say, “Go, go out and do Christ’s work.”

Cardnal Thomas Collins of Toronto makes a humerous point during the homily.

The cardinal then expressed heartfelt gratitude for the work and ministry of the Paulists in Canada, which was met with a wave of applause and standing ovation. Almost palpable were the emotions of gratitude, friendship and sadness as the congregation said fare well to their beloved Paulists; some teary-eyed, some hugging one another.

Father Eric Andrews, president of the Paulist Fathers; Father Tom Gibbons, CSP, administrator of St. Peter’s; and Father James Haley, CSP, former pastor of St. Peter’s, joined Cardinal Collins around the altar for the consecration. As a gift to the people of St. Peter’s, Father Tom Gibbons presented a framed bronze plaque of Servant of God, Father Isaac Hecker to the community’s new pastor, Father Mike McGourty of the Archdiocese of Toronto. The plaque was designed by Paulist Father Frank Sabatte.

The singing of “The Canticle of the Sun” as the recessional hymn lifted the spirits of the congregation, who next braved the chilly winds and rain for a tented reception in the parish courtyard.

From the moment Father Hecker and his companions – Father Augustine Hewit, Father George Deshon and Father Francis Baker – traveled through a snowstorm on an open horse-drawn sleigh and crossed the frozen St. Lawrence River to hold a mission Quebec City in March 1859, the culture, warmth and influence of Canadians has been a “tremendous gift to the Paulist community,” said Father Eric Andrews, president of the Paulist Fathers. “We wouldn’t be here today without our ministry in Canada.”

The Paulist mission in Canada would eventually include parishes and centers in Vancouver, Montreal and Toronto, seeking “to give the people of Canada an experience of God through our ministry,” said Father Thomas Gibbons, who has served at St. Peter’s for the past two years.

“In the process, the people of Canada have also provided us with a constantly unfolding experience of Emmanuel, of ‘God with us,’ through your hospitality, kindness, faithfulness, and love,” he said.

The Paulist mission in Canada would begin with the establishment of the Newman Center at the University of Toronto in 1913 and would end in Toronto in 2015. The intervening 102 years saw 130 Paulists serve in various capacities in the Archdiocese of Toronto and throughout Canada. And the Maple Leaf returned the favor, with 32 sons of Canada answering the call to become Paulist priests. (To see a listing of Canadian Paulists, click here. To read more on the history of the Paulists in Canada, click here.)

The Filipino Choir and Music Group at St. Peter’s leads the processional hymn.

The musicians of St. Peter’s began the sendoff with a June 19 concert. A memorial Mass for all of the deceased Canadian Paulists and Paulists who served in Canada was celebrated on June 28.

“We give thanks for the lives, mission and example, of those who gone before us,” said Father James Haley, former pastor and native of Halifax, Nova Scotia, in his homily, “and we pray that their spirit will continue here at St. Peter’s with the sure support of so great a cloud of witnesses.

“The work and mission begun and carried on by so many will continue in the lives of those who have been touched by these men of true character and whose spirit will continue,” he said. “We walk in the footsteps of the Paulists we remember tonight.”

From the Italian ladies of the parish making food for the events, the international cuisine for the tasting at the annual Fall Fair and feeding the needy at the Winter Welcome Table, outdoor movies, and countless baptisms, weddings and funerals, the weekend was all about sharing memories of the Paulists at St. Peter’s, a testament to how deeply the Paulists and the community have embraced one another.

Paul Macuricu vividly remembers the baptism lf his now 15-year-old son, Andrew, by Father Richard Colgan, CSP.

“That meant so much to me,” Mr. Macuricu said. “My namesake is Paul, and I remember the Paulists here from when I was a little kid. My whole family came [to St. Peter’s].”

Austin Samantiego, a parishioner since 1983 and one of the parish’s large Filipino community, recalls going to lunch and the gym with Father Thomas R. Marshall, CSP, and the Paulists bringing him food after he had surgery.

“The Paulists became not just priests, but friends,” Mr. Samantiego said. “And they were meaningful friendships. We had some good times.”

John Bertolo, a Paulist Associate (a group of lay people who make an annual promise to live the Paulist charism in their daily lives) and vice chair of the St. Peter’s parish council, credits his vocation to pursue his vocation as a permanent deacon beginning in the fall to his association with the Paulists.

“The Paulists have a huge legacy at St. Peter’s and in Canada,” he said. “The Paulists are the foundation on which St. Peter’s stands. The mission has always been clear and constant – evangelization, reconciliation, and outreach – with continuity of spirituality.”

Angela Barbieri, who officially became a Paulist Associate over the weekend, said she identified with the Paulist charism because they understand what it means to be Catholic in the 21st century.

“And the Paulist mission is needed more and more as our world becomes more secularized,” she said. “The Paulist charism has deepened my faith, moving me closer to God. I feel like a whole person, a person more active in my faith.”

Father Haley remembers the Christmas Day that not only did the heating system have a meltdown, but Father Jim McCabe, CSP, passed away.

“It inspired me to see the community come together to console and take care of one another on what was supposed to be day full of joy,” he said. “The reaction of the community was just so strong.”

The spirit and legacy of the Paulist Fathers will continue at St. Peter’s through those strong memories and the continued work of the Paulist Fathers.

“The Holy Spirit will continue to bring us together,” Father Andrews said. “You will always be a part of our Paulist family. And I know you will pray for vocations so that one day we can come to the bishop of Toronto and say, ‘We are coming back to Toronto.’”

Photo Galleries

We invite you to browse the photo galleries below, chronicling the Farewell Mass, Memorial Mass, and celebratory picnic.

Cardinal Thomas Collins greets the congregants after the proecessional.

Paulist President Father Eric Andrews holds up the Book of Gospels.

Father Eric Andrews, president of the Paulist Fathers, preaches the Gospel.

Cardinal Thomas Collins of Toronto is joined by the Paulists priests present in the Prayer of Consecration.

Cardinal Thomas Collins of Toronto holds up the Eucharist.

Father Tom Gibbons, CSP, administrator of St. Peter’s, says part of the Eucharistic Prayer.

Father Eric Andrews, president of the Paulist Fathers, says part of the Eucharistic Prayer.

Father Jim Haley, CSP, a native of Halifax, Nova Scotia and former pastor at St. Peter’s, says part of the Eucharistc prauer.

Father John F. Duffy, CSP, distributes Communion.

Father Tom Gibbonds, administrator at St. Peter’s, presents a framed plaque of the founder of the Paulist Fathers, Servant of God Father Isaac T. Hecker, to St. Peter’s as a testemant to the 102 years the Paulists have served the parish.

The recessional.

The recessional.

Father Steve Bossi, CSP, greets Paulist Associates Molly Suitkaitis (left) and Heather McClory before Mass.

Stuart Wilson-Smith, CSP, a Paulist student from Fredericton, New Brunswick, processes into the Mass carrying the Book of Gospels.

Father Eric Andrews, president of the Paulist Fathers, welcomes the congregants to Mass.

Father Jim Haley, CSP, who hails from Halifax, Nova Scotia, delivers the homily.

Father Eric Andrews, Paulist president (far right), distributes the Body of Christ.

Inge Ali (left) and Angela Barbieri make their first promise as Paulist Associates received by Paulist President Father Eric Andrews.

Father Eric Andrews, Paulist president, witnesses the annual promise of the Paulist Associates at St. Peter’s.